Brooks Doughtie is a local and newly certified USAT Triathlon coach. For 15 years he has been involved in endurance sports competing in both running and cycling events as well as numerous triathlons. While racing and training, he found a passion for helping others improve, and has been a coach since 2008. Since 2010 he has been a USAT Level 1 certified coach. He currently lives, coaches, and trains in Raleigh, NC.
I sat down with him to do a Q and A session.
Q. As a professional triathlon coach, what exactly are your duties?
A. As a triathlon coach, I work with athletes of various athletic abilities, from beginner triathlete, to top elite triathletes helping them achieve their full athletic potential. As a coach, I help set up their training programs to get the best results for each person, whether that is simply to improve fitness or to podium and finish at the top of their age group. My job is to prepare athletes mentally and physically for the demands of the sport. I do that by setting up a customized long term yearly training plan for each athlete, and also set up weekly workouts that consist of swim, bike, run, and strength training.
Q. How did you become a professional triathlon coach?
A. I grew up a runner in high school at Rocky Mount High graduating in 2000 and had decent success, and when I went to college I rode for the cycling team at North Carolina State University. In 2008, I began dating a triathlete and having done 2 of the 3 disciplines, I figured I’d give the sport a shot. I immediately fell in love with the sport, but more than anything I really found that I enjoyed coaching others. I began to coach in 2008 and in 2010 have gone through the certification processes and currently are continuing with educational opportunities to continue to learn from the sport. I currently am certified by USA Triathlon as a Level 1 coach, USA Cycling Level 3 coach, USA Triathlon Junior/Youth coach, F.I.S.T. certified professional bike fitter, and CPR/First Aid certified.
Q. You recently visited Colorado Springs and the Olympic Training Center, what did you do there?
A. I was there to visit with our company, Vanguard Triathlon, and to spend a week with our director and USAT Level 3 triathlon coach, Justin Trolle. I simply absorbed as much knowledge and expertise as possible, as it was great to learn from him. I can now come back here and help the athletes I coach get better. We really focused on training methods that can get our athletes faster, so that they can achieve podium finishes in races. The Olympic Training Center is where some of the top US triathletes train, including V-Tri’s very own, Mark Fretta, top 75 ranked ITU world ranking. Mark’s a great athlete and has worked with Justin Trolle for a long time. It would be an amazing achievement if Mark can make the Olympic
Q. So where are you currently coaching ?
A. Currently, I’m based out of Raleigh. The triangle has a lot of great endurance athletes, and it’s expanding more and more with races and events each year. It’s also centrally located so that I can work with athletes in Eastern NC as well as near the Triad and Charlotte areas. Triathlon is the fastest growing U.S. Olympic sport, and North Carolina is becoming a hot bed for triathlons. Wilmington is now home to an iron distance race every year, and Setup Events is one of the top race production companies that are based in NC.
Q. To a beginner what would you say is the hardest part to getting into the sport?
A. First, I would say welcome! Triathlon is the fastest growing Olympic sport in the U.S., and it’s an awesome sport to be a part of. I think initially a lot of people are overwhelmed just by the sheer act of doing 3 physical activities all at once. Just take your time with training, sign up for a race that you can commit yourself to doing, and have fun with it. For 99.9% of the people in triathlons, this isn’t our day job, so enjoy it!
If you have any questions or need any advice or you read this and want to try a triathlon, visit our website at: http://www.vanguardtriathlon.com/
There you have it Rocky Mount’s very own. Maybe one day soon we will hear of an athlete trained by Brooks being an Olympic Champion.
